Spark Creativity

Learn about ways to expand maker and STEM opportunities for your students. Come learn from educators who successfully integrate making into their teaching. Explore maker-centered tools and trends, gain valuable resources, and collaborate with maker-minded educators. If you’re interested in the maker movement and finding new ways to infuse creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving within your classroom or school, then the 2021 Wayne RESA Maker-STEM Summit is for you.

Teaching STEM through Problem Based Learning

Dave Kadlitz, STEM Teacher, Southgate Public Schools

PBL: It's not just for dessert! This session will explore the strategy of using Problem Based Learning (PBL) in a STEM classroom setting. Topics will include the philosophy behind PBL, scaffolding, grading, and the difference between projects and problems. Attendees are welcome to come with questions and/or examples of their experiences with PBL.

Virtual Makerspace in High Need Schools

Cynthia Alvarado, Media Specialist, Dearborn Public Schools

Tips for doing a virtual makerspace with students who don't have tons of materials at home. Design thinking can help every student be a maker, even when resources are limited.

"Making" Literacy Rich Experiences for Youth

Linda Diekman, K-4 District Librarian, Wilmette (IL) School District #39

Puzzled on how to connect making to your curriculum? Interested in a makerspace, but not sure how it fits into your school program? Literature becomes the connection to building student competencies through making. We'll explore both low and high tech ways to engage students and build critical thinking skills. You'll leave this day with not just ideas, but firm plans to extend literature through making.

Making STEM a Culture in Your Classroom

Chris Woods, Math Teacher, Grand Rapids Public Schools

Finding fun STEM kits? That's a good start. Building a culture of STEM learning in your classroom? That's where STEM moves beyond just a buzzword. In this session, we'll take a look at some simple ideas for helping kids make and create without breaking the bank.

CreATive Makers

Katie Butzu, Occupational Therapist, Bay Arenac ISD

Mark Lyons, Technology Integrationist, Bay Arenac ISD

Maker tools and resources can be used to create both assistive technology devices and evidenced-based activities. Instead of buying expensive commercially made assistive technology, educators can make and customize them to best meet a specific student’s needs. The rising popularity of the Maker Movement in recent years shines a different light on providing assistive technology to improve the functional capabilities of students with disabilities.

Digital Making...One Pixel At a Time!

Jennifer Bond, Design Technology Teacher, Walled Lake Public Schools

There are so many wonderful ways to bring art into the classroom and allow students to be creators! Find out ways you can engage students in the world of pixel art through several different digital platforms. Learn how to integrate pixel art into animation, Google Sheets, Music, and more through the lens of pixel art in VERY simple ways! My students have loved these activities, and I am sure your students will too!

Creating a Curriculum of Innovation

Amy Farkas, STEM Educator/Coordinator, Riverview Community School District

Have you ever wondered how to create courses in STEM or centering around Innovation? Come and join me to learn about the amazing topics/resources that are out there to create classes centering around innovation! We will look at different strategies for creating an innovative curriculum, explore potential topics and course options, and delve into some amazing and free resources to create the perfect courses for your students!

Tinkered Toys Promote Learning for All Students

Jamie Mayo, Assistive & Instructional Technology Coordinator, Washtenaw ISD

Seong-Hee Yoon, Rehabilitation Engineer, Michigan Medicine

Rebecca Ankeney, SLP, Michigan Medicine

The Tinkered Toy Box founders will discuss how they started a program to provide switch-adapted toys to students with disabilities, why it is important for STEM students to serve their peers in this way and how this program provided off-line learning opportunities during a pandemic. Attendees will learn why switch toys are important to students with some disabilities and how students can use maker skills to create these toys.

Making Across the School -- An Appetizing Venture!

Kathy Lester, School Librarian, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

Kristina Wing, Science Teacher, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

This session will describe integrating making activities across science curriculum and school activities in order to meet learning standards, to provide differentiation for learners, and to engage students! Session presenters will share ideas for curriculum connections and engaging students as well as many specific examples of making activities.